Elon Musk says passing basic cognitive test 'should not be optional' for US presidents

On Monday, the White House confirmed that Joe Biden will not be taking a cognitive test as part of his upcoming physical exam, a move that has sparked criticism from many.

Among those voicing their disbelief was Elon Musk, who said anyone with access to the sort of weaponry granted to the commander-in-chief should be forced to take part in regular mental fitness assessments.

"Passing a basic cognitive test should not be optional for someone who controls the nuclear football," the Tesla CEO wrote in a post on X.

 

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Conner, does not believe a cognitive test is necessary, citing the doctor, who last year said that he believes the president has proven his cognitive ability "every day in how he operates and how he thinks, by dealing with world leaders, by making difficult decisions on behalf of the American people – whether it's domestic or it's national security."

"That is how Dr. O'Connor sees it," she added, "and that is how I'm going to leave it."

Biden's mental fitness has long been questioned, however following the release of special counsel Robert Hur's report, which stated that Biden's memory was significantly "limited" during his 2023 interviews with him, scrutiny over his cognitive abilities has grown.

"We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," the report stated. "Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt. It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him — by then a former president well into his eighties — of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness."